1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to navigation techniques within and across computer system programs and, more particularly, to navigation from menus in one computer program to menus in other computer programs.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Presentations of information to users on a computer display device are called menus. Some menus, such as help menus, only provide information, while others include fill-in-the-blanks areas on the display screen to prompt the user to make selections or input information to the system. All computer programs typically have one or more menus. Some of these menus contain selections which lead to other menus within the program.
In the prior art, there are various programs that allow for bypass of one menu to another within the same program. One such program, DisplayWrite.TM., a word processing program published by IBM Corp., uses a selection mnemonic technique to bypass menus. Also known are programs which use a menu name mnemonic technique to access, for example, a calendar menu from within another program.
There are also programs which use a "tree-like" representation of hierarchical forms of information, e.g., directory structure. Currently, the only known use of tree-like structures in a graphical representation is for displaying disk storage hierarchies; e.g., a list of directories on a personal computer (PC). These are often referred to as disk operating system (DOS) shells and are characterized by displaying a visual list of the directories of a fixed disk. The user can then select to view the list of files in the directory, rename a directory, or perform other file management functions.
Some systems allow program to program navigation, but only from a menu already displayed in one window to a previously displayed menu in another window. Another allowable alternative in today's art is from a menu in one window to a program selection menu in another window, where a selection leads to displaying the first menu in another program. A specific example of this approach is the MicroSoft Window.TM. system in which the main selection menu allows selection of a program name and opening of a window to display the first menu of the selected program.
In single tasking systems, such as the DisplayWrite.TM. program, a user can navigate from one menu to another via a series of selections leading the user through a series of menus to the target menu. Where menu bypass functions exist, the user can type in mnemonics to display the target menu directly. However, the user must know the mnemonic of the target.
In multitasking and windowing systems, the user essentially performs navigation along multiple-single paths series of menus concurrently. Target menus must have windows already opened in order to move from a menu in one window to a menu in another window. If the application for the target menu is not open, the user must first open the window, i.e., start the application, and then navigate to the target as in single task systems.
All the current approaches have several problems from the perspective of a user. Users must memorize mnemonics for current bypass techniques within a single application. This places an unnecessary information load on users, who frequently make errors using such techniques. Extra keystrokes are required to navigate to the target menu. Error recovery, reaching the wrong menu due to misspecified mnemonics, and preopening other windows are examples of extra keystrokes required of users. Extra time is taken to learn the mnemonics, input the extra keystrokes, and perform error recovery.
The use of mnemonics to go through various selection options or the use of menu mnemonics to go directly to a menu with a name which has the mnemonic are useful for mostly heavy, intensive use of a software path by a sophisticated user. These techniques do not aid the novice or casual user in performing the function that is desired, i.e., direct movement to another menu in a manner that is easy to learn, remember, and use.